首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
相似文献
 共查询到20条相似文献，搜索用时 31 毫秒
1.
Pollen grains from grasses using the C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways have distinct ranges of δ13C values that may be used to estimate their relative abundance in paleorecords. We evaluated a spooling-wire microcombustion device interfaced with an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (SWiM-IRMS) for δ13C analysis of individual grass-pollen grains. Pollen from four C3 and four C4 grass species was isolated through micromanipulation and analyzed as single grains suspended in water. A carbon yield greater than the 2σ range of the carbon content of blanks containing only water was used to distinguish samples containing pollen (“pollen present”) from those not containing pollen. This criterion resulted in the exclusion of ∼45% of the 946 samples applied to the wire. The average δ13C values (±1σ) of the remaining samples were −26.9‰ (±6.3‰) and −11.5‰ (±9.6‰) for C3 grasses and C4 grasses, respectively, after blank-correcting the δ13C data. These results suggest that the SWiM-IRMS system can be used to distinguish C3 from C4 grass pollen. The high variability in measured δ13C values is likely caused by a combination of factors. These include natural isotopic variability among individual pollen grains; the relatively poor precision that can be obtained when determining δ13C values of such small samples; and the uncertainty in the magnitude, isotopic composition, and stability of the analytical blank. Nonetheless, high percentages of individual pollen grains were correctly classified as being of either C3 or C4 origin. On average, 90% (range = 78-100%) of pollen grains from C3 grasses had δ13C values more negative than the cutoff threshold of −19.2‰; while 84% (range = 77-90%) of pollen grains from C4 grasses had δ13C values more positive than −19.2‰. Compared with analysis using an elemental analyzer interfaced with an IRMS (EA-IRMS), the number of pollen grains required for δ13C-based evaluation of C3/C4 grass composition is many times lower with the SWiM-IRMS. Additionally, δ13C data from the SWiM-IRMS does not need to be incorporated into a mixing model to derive estimates of the abundance of C3 and C4 grass pollen. Carbon-isotopic analysis of individual grass-pollen grains using the SWiM-IRMS system may help improve our understanding of the evolutionary and ecological significance of grass taxa in the paleorecord.  相似文献   

2.
Unraveling the factors controlling the carbon chemistry and transport of carbon within extant karst systems has important implications concerning the assessment of time-series δ13C records of speleothems. Here we report the results of a 3-year study of total dissolved inorganic carbon [DIC] and δ13CDIC from cave waters at DeSoto Caverns (Southeastern USA) that offer valuable insight on carbon transport and the accompanied isotope fractionations from end-member sources to speleothems.[DIC] and δ13CDIC values of cave waters range from 0.2 to 6.0 mM and 2.7 to −12.9 (‰ VPDB), respectively. [DIC] and δ13CDIC of “seasonal drips” show seasonal, albeit noisy, variability and are inversely related (δ13CDIC = −2.49[DIC] + 0.64, r2 = 0.84). A shallow pool fed by multiple drips shows a bimodal δ13CDIC distribution with an isotopically heavier mode during winter (−4‰ to −5‰ VPDB) relative to summer months (−9‰ to −10‰ VPDB). A multi-year trend of decreasing water availability during the study period is not reflected in a response of cave water carbon chemistry suggesting that rainfall amount may not be a significant controlling factor of the carbon chemistry. Coupled cave air winter ventilation/summer stagnation and varying CO2 fluxes through the soil horizon and epikarst exert the strongest influence on seasonal [DIC] and δ13CDIC variability. Measured values of high [DIC] and low δ13CDIC from cave waters collected during the summer/early fall closely approximate isotopic equilibrium conditions. Conversely, low [DIC] and high δ13CDIC values during winter/early months indicate kinetically enhanced isotopic fractionations within the cave waters. The kinetically enhanced isotopic fractionation of partitioned between degassed CO2 and precipitated CaCO3(1000lnα[(CO2-HCO3)+(CaCO3(AR)-HCO3)]/2) is greater by about a factor of two (−6.7 ± 0.3‰) relative to the same isotopic fractionation under equilibrium conditions (−3.1‰).On the basis of 14C mass balance and paired 14C-U/Th measurements we estimate that on average about ∼23% of C delivered annually by the drips to the aragonite stalagmites is derived from 14C-dead dolomite cap while the remainder of ∼77% is derived from 14C-live biomass. δ13C measurements of aragonite (n = 12) sampled from the tips of active speleothems during the summer months are consistent with theoretical aragonite δ13C values calculated using the shallow pool summer/early fall data thus confirming the δ13C seasonality in both drips and coeval aragonite. δ13C values of an active stalagmite section spanning the last 200 years show a normal distribution with a mean of −7.1 ± 1.2‰ (n = 81) and a mode of −7‰ to −8‰ that are statistically indistinguishable from the annual mean and mode of all dripwaters. Thus secular time-series δ13C records of stalagmites at DeSoto Caverns with resolving power >10−1 year will likely carry the imprints of drip annual means that record climate-driven δ13C seasonal biases.  相似文献   

3.
Silica phytoliths, which are deposits of opal-A that precipitate in the intra- and intercellular spaces of plant tissues during transpiration, commonly contain small amounts of occluded organic matter. In this paper, we investigate whether the δ13C values of phytoliths from a C4 grass, Calamovilfa longifolia, vary in response to climatic variables that can affect the carbon-isotope composition of plant tissues. There is no significant correlation (r2 < 0.3) between climate variables and the δ13C values of C. longifolia tissues (average δ13Ctissue = −13.1 ± 0.6 ‰; n = 70) across the North American prairies. However, plant tissue δ13C values are lower for grasses collected in populated areas where the δ13C value of atmospheric CO2 is expected to be lower because of fossil fuel burning. Phytolith δ13C values are more variable (δ13C = −27.3 to −23.0‰; average = −25.1 ± 1.3‰; n = 34) and more sensitive to changes in aridity than whole tissue δ13C values. The strongest correlations are obtained between the δ13C values of stem or sheath phytoliths and humidity (r2 = 0.3), latitude (r2 = 0.4) and amount of precipitation (r2 = 0.5). However, use of these relationships is limited by the wide spread in δ13C values of phytoliths from different plant tissues at the same location. We have been unable to infer any relationship between δ13C values of phytoliths and expected variations in the δ13C values of atmospheric CO2. The C. longifolia phytoliths are depleted of 13C relative to tissue carbon by 10-14‰. This means that the phytoliths examined in this study have carbon isotopic compositions within the range reported previously for phytoliths from C3 plants. This observation may further limit the usefulness of soil-phytolith assemblage δ13C values for identifying shifts in grassland C3:C4 ratios.  相似文献   

4.
Rats were raised on a variety of isotopically controlled diets comprising 20% C3, C4 or marine protein and C3 and/or C4 non-protein or energy (i.e. sucrose, starch and oil) macronutrients. Compound specific stable carbon isotope (δ13C) analysis was performed on the cholesterol isolated from the diet (n=7 ) and bone (n=15 ) of these animals and the values compared with bulk δ13C measurements of bone collagen and apatite. The dietary signals reflected by these three bone biochemical components were investigated using linear regression analysis. δ13C values of bone cholesterol were shown to reflect whole diet δ13C values, collagen to reflect mainly dietary protein values and apatite to reflect whole diet values. Further correlations between dietary protein-to-energy spacings (Δ13Cprot-engy = δ13Cprotein - δ13Cenergy) and whole diet-to-bone component fractionations (Δ13Cbcomp-wdiet = δ13Cbone component - δ13Cwhole diet) indicates that for hypothetical diets where protein δ13C values are equal to energy values, fractionations between whole diet and bone biochemical fractions are -3.3‰ for cholesterol, +5.4‰ for collagen and +9.5‰ for apatite. Moreover, the narrow range of variation observed in apatite-to-cholesterol spacings (Δ13Capat-bchol) suggests that cholesterol δ13C values can potentially also be used as an independent test for the isotopic integrity of apatite δ13C values. These insights into bone cholesterol, collagen and apatite dietary signals, diet-to-bone fractionations and bone component-to-bone component spacings provide the basis for more accurate interpretations of the dietary behaviour of archaeological populations and food webs when the δ13C analysis of bone is employed.  相似文献   

5.
A suite of natural gases from the northern Songliao Basin in NE China were characterized for their molecular and carbon isotopic composition. Gases from shallow reservoirs display clear geochemical evidence of alteration by biodegradation, with very high dryness (C1/C2+ > 100), high C2/C3 and i-C4/n-C4 ratios, high nitrogen content and variable carbon dioxide content. Isotopic values show wide range variations (δ13CCH4 from −79.5‰ to −45.0‰, δ13CC2H6 from −53.7‰ to −32.2‰, δ13CC3H8 from −36.5‰ to −20.1‰, δ13CnC4H10 from −32.7‰ to −24.5‰, and δ13CCO2 from −21.6‰ to +10.5‰). A variety of genetic types can be recognized on the basis of chemical and isotopic composition together with their geological occurrence. Secondary microbial gas generation was masked by primary microbial gas and the mixing of newly generated methane with thermogenic methane already in place in the reservoir can cause very complicated isotopic signatures. System openness also was considered for shallow biodegraded gas accumulations. Gases from the Daqing Anticline are relatively wet with 13C enriched methane and 13C depleted CO2, representing typically thermogenic origin. Gases within the Longhupao-Da’an Terrace have variable dryness, 13C enriched methane and variable δ13C of CO2, suggesting dominant thermogenic origin and minor secondary microbial methane augment. The Puqian-Ao’nan Uplift contains relatively dry gas with 13C depleted methane and 13C enriched CO2, typical for secondary microbial gas with a minor part of thermogenic methane. Gas accumulations in the Western Slope are very dry with low carbon dioxide concentrations. Some gases contain 13C depleted methane, ethane and propane, indicating low maturity/primary microbial origin. Recognition of varying genetic gas types in the Songliao Basin helps explain the observed dominance of gas in the shallow reservoir and could serve as an analogue for other similar shallow gas systems.  相似文献   

6.
The Western Slope of the Songliao Basin is rich in heavy oil resources (>70 × 108 bbl), around which there are shallow gas reservoirs (∼1.0 × 1012 m3). The gas is dominated by methane with a dryness over 0.99, and the non-hydrocarbon component being overwelmingly nitrogen. Carbon isotope composition of methane and its homologs is depleted in 13C, with δ13C1 values being in the range of −55‰ to −75‰, δ13C2 being in the range of −40‰ to −53‰ and δ13C3 being in the range of −30‰ to −42‰, respectively. These values differ significantly from those solution gases source in the Daqing oilfield. This study concludes that heavy oils along the Western Slope were derived from mature source rocks in the Qijia-Gulong Depression, that were biodegraded. The low reservoir temperature (30–50 °C) and low salinity of formation water with neutral to alkaline pH (NaHCO3) appeared ideal for microbial activity and thus biodegradation. Natural gas along the Western Slope appears mainly to have originated from biodegradation and the formation of heavy oil. This origin is suggested by the heavy δ13C of CO2 (−18.78‰ to 0.95‰) which suggests that the methane was produced via fermentation as the terminal decomposition stage of the oil.  相似文献   

7.
Fossils of megaherbivores from eight late Pleistocene 14C- and OSL-dated doline infillings of Ajoie (NW Switzerland) were discovered along the Transjurane highway in the Swiss Jura. Carbon and oxygen analyses of enamel were performed on forty-six teeth of large mammals (Equus germanicus, Mammuthus primigenius, Coelodonta antiquitatis, and Bison priscus), coming from one doline in Boncourt (~ 80 ka, marine oxygen isotope stage MIS5a) and seven in Courtedoux (51–27 ka, late MIS3), in order to reconstruct the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions of the region. Similar enamel δ13C values for both periods, ranging from − 14.5 to − 9.2‰, indicate that the megaherbivores lived in a C3 plant-dominated environment. Enamel δ18OPO4 values range from 10.9 to 16.3‰ with a mean of 13.5 ± 1.0‰ (n = 46). Mean air temperatures (MATs) were inferred using species-specific δ18OPO4–δ18OH2O-calibrations for modern mammals and a present-day precipitation δ18OH2O-MAT relation for Switzerland. Similar average MATs of 6.6 ± 3.6°C for the deposits dated to ~ 80 ka and 6.5 ± 3.3°C for those dated to the interval 51–27 ka were estimated. This suggests that these mammals in the Ajoie area lived in mild periods of the late Pleistocene with MATs only about 2.5°C lower than modern-day temperatures.  相似文献   

8.
Serial sampling of tooth enamel growth increments for carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses of Macropus (kangaroo) teeth was performed to assess the potential for reconstructing paleoseasonality. The carbon isotope composition of tooth enamel apatite carbonate reflects the proportional intake of C3 and C4 vegetation. The oxygen isotopic composition of enamel reflects that of ingested and metabolic water. Tooth enamel forms sequentially from the tip of the crown to the base, so dietary and environmental changes during the tooth's formation can be detected. δ13C and δ18O values were determined for a series of enamel samples drilled from the 3rd and 4th molars of kangaroos that were collected along a 900 km north–south transect in southern Australia. The serial sampling method did not yield pronounced seasonal isotopic variation patterns in Macropus enamel. The full extent of dietary isotopic variation may be obscured by attenuation of the isotopic signal during enamel mineralisation. Brachydont (low-crowned) Macropus teeth may be less sensitive to seasonal variation in isotopic composition due to time-averaging during mineralisation. However, geographic variations observed suggest that there may be potential for tracking latitudinal shifts in vegetation zones and seasonal environmental patterns in response to climate change.  相似文献   

9.
Microorganisms are ubiquitous in deep subsurface environments, but their role in the global carbon cycle is not well-understood. The natural abundance δ13C and Δ14C values of microbial membrane phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were measured and used to assess the carbon sources of bacteria in sedimentary and granitic groundwaters sampled from three boreholes in the vicinity of the Tono Uranium Mine, Gifu, Japan. Sample storage experiments were performed and drill waters analyzed to characterize potential sources of microbial contamination. The most abundant PLFA structures in all waters sampled were 16:0, 16:1ω7c, cy17:0, and 18:1ω7c. A PLFA biomarker for type II methanotrophs, 18:1ω8c, comprised 3% and 18% of total PLFAs in anoxic sedimentary and granitic waters, respectively, sampled from the KNA-6 borehole. The presence of this biomarker was unexpected given that type II methanotrophs are considered obligate aerobes. However, a bacterium that grows aerobically with CH4 as the sole energy source and which also produces 56% of its total PLFAs as 18:1ω8c was isolated from both waters, providing additional evidence for the presence of type II methanotrophs. The Δ14C values determined for type II methanotroph PLFAs in the sedimentary (−861‰) and granite (−867‰) waters were very similar to the Δ14C values of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in each water (∼−850‰). This suggests that type II methanotrophs ultimately derive all their carbon from inorganic sources, whether directly from DIC and/or from CH4 produced by the reduction of DIC. In contrast, δ13C values of type II PLFAs in the sedimentary (−93‰) and granite (−60‰) waters indicate that these organisms use different carbon assimilation schemes in each environment despite very similar δ13CCH4 values (∼−95‰) for each water. The δ13CPLFA values (−28‰ to −45‰) of non-methanotrophic bacteria in the KNA-6 LTL water do not clearly distinguish between heterotrophic and autotrophic metabolisms, but Δ14CPLFA values indicate that >65% of total bacteria filtered from the KNA-6 LTL water are heterotrophs. Ancient Δ14C values (∼−1000‰) of some PLFAs suggest that many heterotrophs utilize ancient organic matter, perhaps from lignite seams within the sedimentary rocks. The more negative range of δ13CPLFA values determined for the KNA-6 granitic water (−42‰ to −66‰) are likely the result of a microbial ecosystem dominated by chemolithoautotrophy, perhaps fuelled by abiogenic H2. Results of sample storage experiments showed substantial shifts in microbial community composition and δ13CPLFA values (as much as 5‰) during 2-4 days of dark, refrigerated, aseptic storage. However, water samples collected and immediately filtered back in the lab from freshly drilled MSB-2 borehole appeared to maintain the same relative relationships between δ13CPLFA values for sedimentary and granitic host rocks as observed for samples directly filtered under artesian flow from the KNA-6 borehole of the Tono Uranium Mine.  相似文献   

10.
Stable isotopes (H, O, C) were determined for ground and surface waters collected from two relatively undisturbed massive sulfide deposits (Halfmile Lake and Restigouche) in the Bathurst Mining Camp (BMC), New Brunswick, Canada. Additional waters from active and inactive mines in the BMC were also collected. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of surface and shallow groundwaters from both the Halfmile Lake and Restigouche deposits are remarkably uniform (− 13 to − 14‰ and − 85 to − 95‰ for δ18OVSMOW and δ2HVSMOW, respectively). These values are lighter than predicted for northern New Brunswick and, combined with elevated deuterium excess values, suggest that recharge waters are dominated by winter precipitation, recharged during spring melting. Deeper groundwaters from the Restigouche deposit, and from active and inactive mines have heavier δ18OVSMOW ratios (up to − 10.8‰) than shallow groundwaters suggesting recharge under warmer climate or mixing with Shield-type brines. Some of the co-variation in Cl concentrations and δ18OVSMOW ratios can be explained by mixing between saline and shallow recharge water end-members. Carbon isotopic compositions of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) are variable, ranging from − 15 to − 5‰ δ13CVPDB for most ground and surface waters. Much of the variation in the carbon isotopes is consistent with closed system groundwater evolution involving soil zone CO2 and fracture zone carbonate minerals (calcite, dolomite and siderite; average = − 6.5‰ δ13CVPDB). The DIC of saline Restigouche deposit groundwater is isotopically heavy (∼+ 12‰ δ13CVPDB), indicating carbon isotopic fractionation from methanogenesis via CO2 reduction, consistent with the lack of dissolved sulfate in these waters and the observation of CH4-degassing during sampling.  相似文献   

11.
High-resolution natural abundance stable carbon isotope analyses across annual growth rings in evergreen trees reveal a cyclic increase and decrease in the measured carbon isotopic composition (δ13C), but the causes of this pattern are poorly understood. We compiled new and published high-resolution δ13C data from across annual growth rings of 33 modern evergreen trees from 10 genera and 15 globally distributed sites to quantify the parameters that affect the observed δ13C pattern. Across a broad range of latitude, temperature, and precipitation regimes, we found that the average, measured seasonal change in δ13C (Δδ13Cmeas, ‰) within tree rings of evergreen species reflects changes in the carbon isotopic composition of atmospheric carbon dioxide (Δδ13CCO2) and changes in seasonal precipitation (ΔP) according to the following equation: Δδ13Cmeas = Δδ13CCO2 - 0.82(ΔP) + 0.73; R2 = 0.96. Seasonal changes in temperature, pCO2, and light levels were not found to significantly affect Δδ13Cmeas. We propose that this relationship can be used to quantify seasonal patterns in paleoprecipitation from intra-ring profiles of δ13C measured from non-permineralized, fossil wood.  相似文献   

12.
A unique dataset from paired low- and high-temperature vents at 9°50′N East Pacific Rise provides insight into the microbiological activity in low-temperature diffuse fluids. The stable carbon isotopic composition of CH4 and CO2 in 9°50′N hydrothermal fluids indicates microbial methane production, perhaps coupled with microbial methane consumption. Diffuse fluids are depleted in 13C by ∼10‰ in values of δ13C of CH4, and by ∼0.55‰ in values of δ13C of CO2, relative to the values of the high-temperature source fluid (δ13C of CH4 =−20.1 ± 1.2‰, δ13C of CO2 =−4.08 ± 0.15‰). Mixing of seawater or thermogenic sources cannot account for the depletions in 13C of both CH4 and CO2 at diffuse vents relative to adjacent high-temperature vents. The substrate utilization and 13C fractionation associated with the microbiological processes of methanogenesis and methane oxidation can explain observed steady-state CH4 and CO2 concentrations and carbon isotopic compositions. A mass-isotope numerical box model of these paired vent systems is consistent with the hypothesis that microbial methane cycling is active at diffuse vents at 9°50′N. The detectable 13C modification of fluid geochemistry by microbial metabolisms may provide a useful tool for detecting active methanogenesis.  相似文献   

13.
In this study, the geochemistry and origin of natural gas and formation waters in Devonian age organic-rich shales and reservoir sandstones across the northern Appalachian Basin margin (western New York, eastern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania, and eastern Kentucky) were investigated. Additional samples were collected from Mississippian Berea Sandstone, Silurian Medina Sandstone and Ordovician Trenton/Black River Group oil and gas wells for comparison. Dissolved gases in shallow groundwaters in Devonian organic-rich shales along Lake Erie contain detectable CH4 (0.01–50.55 mol%) with low δ13C–CH4 values (−74.68 to −57.86‰) and no higher chain hydrocarbons, characteristics typical of microbial gas. Nevertheless, these groundwaters have only moderate alkalinity (1.14–8.72 meq/kg) and relatively low δ13C values of dissolved inorganic C (DIC) (−24.8 to −0.6‰), suggesting that microbial methanogenesis is limited. The majority of natural gases in Devonian organic-rich shales and sandstones at depth (>168 m) in the northern Appalachian Basin have a low CH4 to ethane and propane ratios (3–35 mol%; C1/C2 + C3) and high δ13C and δD values of CH4 (−53.35 to −40.24‰, and −315.0 to −174.6‰, respectively), which increase in depth, reservoir age and thermal maturity; the molecular and isotopic signature of these gases show that CH4 was generated via thermogenic processes. Despite this, the geochemistry of co-produced brines shows evidence for microbial activity. High δ13C values of DIC (>+10‰), slightly elevated alkalinity (up to 12.01 meq/kg) and low SO4 values (<1 mmole/L) in select Devonian organic-rich shale and sandstone formation water samples suggest the presence of methanogenesis, while low δ13C–DIC values (<−22‰) and relatively high SO4 concentrations (up to 12.31 mmole/L) in many brine samples point to SO4 reduction, which likely limits microbial CH4 generation in the Appalachian Basin. Together the formation water and gas results suggest that the vast majority of CH4 in the Devonian organic-rich shales and sandstones across the northern Appalachian Basin margin is thermogenic in origin. Small accumulations of microbial CH4 are present at shallow depths along Lake Erie and in western NY.  相似文献   

14.
Aqueous alteration of primitive meteorites was among the earliest geological processes during the evolution of our solar system. ‘Clumped-isotope’ thermometry of carbonates in the CM chondrites, Cold Bokkeveld, Murray, and Murchison, demonstrates that they underwent aqueous alteration at 20-71 °C from a fluid with δ18OVSMOW of 2.0‰ to 8.1‰ and δ17OVSMOW of −0.1‰ to 3.0‰. The δ13CVPDB values of these carbonates exhibit a negative correlation with the δ18OVSMOW of their formation waters, consistent with formation and escape of 13C-depleted CH4 during aqueous alteration. Methane generation under these conditions implies that the alteration fluid was characterized by an Eh ? −0.67 and pH ? 12.5 (or lower at the highest alteration temperatures). Our findings suggest that methane generation may have been a widespread consequence of planetesimal and planetary aqueous alteration, perhaps explaining the occurrence of methane on Titan, Triton, Pluto, and other Kuiper-belt objects.  相似文献   

15.
We evaluate the impact of exceptionally sparse plant cover (0-20%) and rainfall (2-114 mm/yr) on the stable carbon and oxygen composition of soil carbonate along elevation transects in what is among the driest places on the planet, the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. δ13C and δ18O values of carbonates from the Atacama are the highest of any desert in the world. δ13C (VPDB) values from soil carbonate range from −8.2‰ at the wettest sites to +7.9‰ at the driest. We measured plant composition and modeled respiration rates required to form these carbonate isotopic values using a modified version of the soil diffusion model of [Cerling (1984) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.71, 229-240], in which we assumed an exponential form of the soil CO2 production function, and relatively shallow (20-30 cm) average production depths. Overall, we find that respiration rates are the main predictor of the δ13C value of soil carbonate in the Atacama, whereas the fraction C3 to C4 biomass at individual sites has a subordinate influence. The high average δ13C value (+4.1‰) of carbonate from the driest study sites indicates it formed—perhaps abiotically—in the presence of pure atmospheric CO2.δ18O (VPDB) values from soil carbonate range from −5.9‰ at the wettest sites to +7.3‰ at the driest and show much less regular variation with elevation change than δ13C values. δ18O values for soil carbonate predicted from local temperature and δ18O values of rainfall values suggest that extreme (>80% in some cases) soil dewatering by evaporation occurs at most sites prior to carbonate formation. The effects of evaporation compromise the use of δ18O values from ancient soil carbonate to reconstruct paleoelevation in such arid settings.  相似文献   

16.
《Chemical Geology》1992,94(3):183-192
The Siwalik Sequence of northern Pakistan contains a 16-Ma record of paleosol carbonate and fossil teeth from which a record of paleovegetation can potentially be reconstructed and compared. The carbon isotopic composition of paleosol carbonate and organic matter from Siwalik strata reflects a major paleoecological change on the floodplains of major rivers beginning7.3 Ma ago. By 6 Ma C3-dominated plant communities, probably composed of mostly trees and shrubs, were displaced by nearly continuous C4 grassland. We find that the carbon isotopic ratios in herbivore tooth enamel reflect this dramatic ecologic shift. Carbonate in enamel older than 7 Ma averages −11‰ in δ13CPDB, consistent with a largely C3 diet. Enamel from the Plio-PIeistocene averages +1.9‰ in δ13C, similar to the value displayed by modern C4 grazers. Analysis of post-burial carbonate cements, and the concordance with isotopic evidence from paleosols argues strongly against major isotopic alteration of the enamel, while coexisting bone may have been altered early in burial. This study confirms that enamel apatite is useful for paleodietary reconstruction much further back in the geologic record than was previously thought.  相似文献   

17.
The toxodont megaherbivores Toxodon and Mixotoxodon were endemic to South and Central America during the late Quaternary. Isotopic signatures of 47 toxodont teeth were analyzed to reconstruct diet and ancient habitat. Tooth enamel carbon isotope data from six regions of South and Central America indicate significant differences in toxodont diet and local vegetation during the late Quaternary. Toxodonts ranged ecologically from C3 forest browsers in the Amazon (mean δ13C = −13.4‰), to mixed C3 grazers and/or browsers living either in C3 grasslands, or mixed C3 forested and grassland habitats in Honduras (mean δ13C = −9.3‰), Buenos Aires province, Argentina (δ13C = −8.7‰), and Bahia, Brazil (mean δ13C = −8.6‰), to predominantly C4 grazers in northern Argentina (δ13C = −4.4‰), to specialized C4 grazers in the Chaco of Bolivia (δ13C = −0.1‰). Although these toxodonts had very high-crowned teeth classically interpreted for grazing, the isotopic data indicate that these megaherbivores had the evolutionary capacity to feed on a variety of dominant local vegetation. In the ancient Amazon region, carbon isotope data for the toxodonts indicate a C3-based tropical rainforest habitat with no evidence for grasslands as would be predicted from the Neotropical forest refugia hypothesis.  相似文献   

18.
We investigate seasonal variations in the diet and drinking water of four Great Lakes mastodon (Mammut americanum) specimens using stable isotope analysis of serially sampled inner-enamel bioapatite structural carbonate (δ13Csc, δ18Osc), and previously published bulk analyses. Isotopic analyses and thin section measurements showed that mastodon tooth enamel extension rates (~ 12–4 mm/yr, decreasing toward the cervix) were lower than those of mammoths or modern elephants. Mastodons had distinct and highly regular seasonal variations in δ13Csc and δ18Osc, which we interpret in the context of local glacial history and vegetation changes. Seasonal variations in δ18O were large but variations in δ13C were small, and may have been obscured if coarser sampling methods than our inner-enamel sampling approach were used. Thus, our approach may be particularly useful for understanding relatively small seasonal changes in δ13C within C3 environments. The seasonal patterns, though not entirely conclusive, suggest that the Ontario mastodons did not migrate over very long distances. Rather, the climate and seasonal dietary patterns of mastodons within the region changed over time, from ~ 12,400 to 10,400 14C yr BP (~ 15,000 – 12,000 cal yr BP). Insights gained using these methods can contribute to a better understanding of megafaunal extinctions and Paleoamerican lifeways.  相似文献   

19.
This research presents the individual amino acid δ13C values in bone collagen of humans (n = 9) and animals (n = 27) from two prehistoric shell midden sites in Korea. We obtained complete baseline separation of 16 of the 18 amino acids found in bone collagen by using liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC-IRMS). The isotopic results reveal that the humans and animals in the two sites had similar patterns in essential amino acids (EAAs) and non-essential amino acids (NEAAs). The EAA and NEAA δ13C values in humans are intermediate between those in marine and terrestrial animals. However, the threonine δ13C values in humans and animals measured in this study are more highly enriched than those of other amino acids. At both sites, all amino acids in marine animals are 13C-enriched relative to those of the terrestrial animals. The isotopic evidence suggests that the Tongsamdong human had EAAs and NEAAs from marine food resources, while the Nukdo humans mainly had EAAs from terrestrial food resources but obtained NEAAs from both terrestrial and marine resources. The δ13C isotopic differences in amino acids between marine and terrestrial animals were the largest for glycine (NEAA) and histidine (EAA) and the smallest for tyrosine (NEAA) and phenylalanine (EAA). In addition, threonine among the EAAs also had a large difference (∼8‰) in δ13C values between marine and terrestrial animals, and has the potential to be used as an isotopic marker in palaeodietary studies. Threonine δ13C values were used in conjunction with the established Δ13CGlycine-phenylalanine values and produced three distinct dietary groups (terrestrial, omnivorous, and marine). In addition, threonine δ13C values and Δ13CSerine-phenylalanine values were discovered to separate between two dietary groups (terrestrial vs. marine), and these δ13C values may provide a potential new indicator for investigating the distinction between marine and terrestrial protein sources in human diets.  相似文献   

20.
Many grasslands and savannas around the world have experienced woody plant encroachment in recent history. In the Rio Grande Plains of southern Texas, subtropical woodlands dominated by C3 trees and shrubs have become significant components of landscapes once dominated almost exclusively by C4 grasslands. In this study, spatial variation of soil δ13C to was used to investigate patterns of transformation. Previous research has shown that grassland-to-shrubland transitions are initiated when discrete, multi-species shrub clusters organized around a honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) tree nucleus established in grassland. It is inferred from space-for-time substitution and modeling studies that as new shrub clusters are initiated and existing clusters enlarge, coalescence will occur, leading to the formation of groves; and that groves will eventually merge to form woodlands. The hypothesis that present-day mesquite groves represent areas where individual discrete shrub clusters have proliferated and coalesced was evaluated by comparing patterns of soil δ13C within isolated shrub clusters (n = 6) to those in nearby groves (n = 3). Mean soil δ13C within discrete clusters was lowest in the center (−23.3‰), increased exponentially toward the dripline (−20.1‰), and stabilized at a relatively high value approximately 15 cm beyond the dripline (−18.9‰). The spatial structure of soil δ13C in groves was consistent with that which would be expected to occur if present-day grove communities were a collection of what once were individual discrete clusters that had fused. As such, it provides direct evidence in support of conceptual and mathematical models derived from indirect assessments. However, spatial patterns of soil δ13C suggest that groves are not simply a collection of clusters with respect to primary production and SOC turnover. This study illustrates how soil δ13C values can be used to reconstruct successional processes accompanying vegetation compositional change, and its consequences for ecosystem function.  相似文献   

设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号